International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS)
Aim of the project
A standardized classification for key patient safety concepts is vital to share learning across health-care systems all over the world. The International Classification for Patient Safety aspires to define, harmonize and group patient safety concepts into an internationally agreed classification in a way that is conducive to learning and improving patient safety across time and borders.
With the support of international experts, WHO Patient Safety has developed a conceptual framework for the International Classification for Patient Safety. It provides a reasonable understanding of the world of patient safety to which existing regional and national classifications can relate.
It should be noted that the conceptual framework for the ICPS is not yet a classification. WHO Patient Safety is working in conjunction with the WHO Health Statistics and Informatics Department to develop and maintain the knowledge mechanisms necessary to transform the conceptual framework for the ICPS into a true classification.
The conceptual framework
Building on vast experience in several countries reporting and classifying incidents, a conceptual framework has been elicited for understanding the patient safety domain and learning. Based on this a classification is being constructed. Tested for relevance in several sites using different reporting instruments, the conceptual framework has been endorsed as a basis for the future classification.
Towards the classification
As a future member of the international family of classifications, the ICPS is being developed for optimum semantic interoperability. Supported by an extensive and robust knowledge representation that will make it easily processable by machines, the future classification will also be user-friendly and configurable for particular uses.
For more information regarding the International Classification for Patient Safety, please contact psresearch@who.int.